“Former Governor Samuel Ortom and Michael Aondoakaa, who had their opportunities to serve and failed woefully by the standards they now seek to impose on others, should not be allowed to distract Governor Hyacinth Alia from the task of transforming Benue…”
BY TERSOO KULA
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its drowning spokesmen appear to have run out of ideas. With little to offer the people, they have resorted to the tantrums, lies and political theatrics for which they have become known.
It is therefore the height of daydreaming and selective amnesia for the media consultant to Mike Aondoakaa, SAN, to imagine that Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration, which is busy rebuilding Benue through roads, industries, improved welfare for the workforce, care for senior citizens and billions of naira in investments, has time to engage a party bleeding from its own self-inflicted wounds and desperate to return to power to deepen the destruction from which the people rescued the state.
Rather than engage in political distractions, Governor Hyacinth Alia has remained focused on governance. His administration has brought greater accountability and transparency to the management of the state, as evidenced by certifications and recognitions from reputable international audit firms. He has also restored Benue to creditworthy status and created a safer and more credible environment for investment.
The growing confidence in Benue’s economic prospects is not accidental. Just a few days ago, the state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hudson Global Ltd to attract a $5 billion investment aimed at transforming Benue’s economic landscape. This is the direction in which the state is moving. In contrast, under Ortom, the godfather of Mr. Aondoakaa, the PDP gubernatorial candidate in the state, the things that grew were debt, IDP camps, complaints and propaganda elevated to statecraft.
The difference is also visible in the everyday lives of the people. The construction of rural and urban roads, consistent payment of salaries and gratuities, and the establishment of the Food Basket Bakery are among the achievements that cannot be hidden by political propaganda. These stand in sharp contrast to the last administration, when payment of salaries became a recurring crisis and Benue was branded the IDP capital of Nigeria, with more than 1.5 million of our people displaced and living in camps.
That record is why former Governor Samuel Ortom should be prepared to answer questions about his own antecedents rather than attempt to rewrite history. His political conduct has also raised questions about his double standards, particularly as he has publicly endorsed the APC presidential candidate while working with the NDC presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
A politician who pitches his tent in two camps at once and calls it “statesmanship” should not expect Nigerians to accept every political explanation offered in retrospect.
Ortom, as a former governor of Benue State, was a key figure in the anti-party activities that contributed to the revolt by members and the eventual collapse of the PDP’s fortunes in 2023. Yet today, he is hiding behind Aondoakaa like a child behind his mother’s wrapper, talking about a “turning point.”
He claimed to have supported Peter Obi after leading the factional G-5, and he still supports him today, while telling the world that he is behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Benue people are entitled to ask which of these positions represents his genuine political conviction.
The same question applies to Peter Obi’s recent visit to the state. Let it be on record that the NDC presidential candidate came to Benue fully dressed in campaign regalia, which makes the political dimension of the visit difficult to ignore. The state already has a coordinating agency, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), responsible for handling humanitarian matters.
This naturally raises another question about the so-called humanitarian visit: Did the IDP crisis begin under Gov. Hyacinth Alia’s administration? If Gov. Ortom’s administration was as successful as Aondoakaa’s media consultant would have Nigerians believe, why was Benue already described as the IDP capital in 2021, with more than 1.5 million persons displaced and living in camps?
Beyond the issue of displacement is the question of public accountability. In a sane democracy, people like Mike Aondoakaa should think twice before seeking to lecture others on governance, particularly given the controversies surrounding his own record in public office. As Attorney General of the Federation, his conduct and decisions remain part of the public record and should not be conveniently erased whenever political arguments are being made.
The same scrutiny must apply to the treatment of workers and pensioners under the Ortom administration. The state’s workforce was owed several months’ salaries, while pensioners were owed more than 70 months’ entitlements, including accumulated gratuities and other benefits. Pensioners who dared to protest were reportedly manhandled by state-sponsored thugs at the main gate of Government House. Many elderly citizens were left waiting for entitlements they desperately needed.
Gov. Samuel Ortom has frequently, and on media platforms, avoided questions about the N735 billion he received during his tenure through bailouts, Paris Refunds and other inflows that came in tranches. For a former governor who left behind a debt said to be over N300 billion and another N139 billion reportedly unaccounted for, as confirmed by a Commission of Inquiry, he has no moral justification to lecture others on accountability without first answering questions about his own stewardship.
The contradictions extend to local government administration. Did Gov. Samuel Ortom and the PDP enforce Local Government Autonomy, which they now loudly clamour for? Why were local governments still operating a joint account with the state government under Governor Ortom? Why is Michael Aondoakaa promising local government autonomy now when his political godfather opposed it and deliberately refused to grant it? And why did the killings continue even after the so-called signing of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Law?
These are the questions that should occupy the PDP and its spokesmen, rather than the distractions they continue to throw at the Alia administration. Securing lives and property has remained a top priority of the Governor Alia-led government. For the PDP, through Terver Akase, to accuse the governor of being silent on the Ayilamo killings is cheap, unfair and nothing more than an attempt by a sinking party to manufacture excuses for its impending defeat in 2027.
Criticism and accountability are essential ingredients of democracy, but public discourse and political campaigns should be guided by facts, issues and a fair assessment of records. Former Governor Samuel Ortom and Michael Aondoakaa, who had their opportunities to serve and failed woefully by the standards they now seek to impose on others, should not be allowed to distract Governor Hyacinth Alia from the task of transforming Benue and taking the state to its rightful and enviable height.
Ultimately, 2027 will not be decided by press statements, political theatrics or partisan spin. It will be decided by the people at the ballot box. On that day, the record of what has been achieved will speak louder than propaganda, because Benue has moved on from the agents of stagnation and is looking towards a future defined by development, investment and progress.
…Sir Tersoo Kula is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
